High Desert District
| Contacts: | Shelley Gregory | |||
| 307-315-0612 |
BLM Rawlins and Rock Springs Lift Fire Restrictions
Effective at midnight on Friday, Sept. 28, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will lift all fire restrictions implemented by the Rawlins and Rock Springs field offices within Albany, Carbon, Sweetwater and Uinta counties.
Rock Springs Field Manager Lance Porter states, “This was a tough fire year; without the public’s adherence to the fire restrictions, it would have been a lot tougher. We’re grateful to everyone for their cooperation and vigilance.”
Cooler temperatures and increased moisture have helped improve conditions so that the following activities can resume on BLM-administered public lands:
- Building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire or campfire.
- Smoking.
- Operating a chainsaw.
- Using an arc or gas welder or acetylene or other torch.
The following restrictions are in effect year-round on BLM-administered public lands:
- Discharging or using fireworks.
- Discharging a firearm using incendiary or tracer ammunition.
- Burning or igniting tires, wires, magnesium, or other hazardous or explosive material.
- Operating an off-road vehicle unless it is equipped with a properly installed spark arrester.
The public is asked to check with towns, counties and other agencies for fire restrictions on non-BLM lands.
BLM Fire Management Officer Frank Keeler stresses, “Even though we’re lifting fire restrictions, the fire season is not over and the threat of wildfires has not disappeared.” He adds, “Campfire safety continues to be a priority. Hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts should maintain campfires within fire rings, never leave a fire unattended and drown all embers with water and stir with a shovel to ensure any fire is properly extinguished.”
For more information on BLM fire restrictions or conditions, please visit www.wy.blm.gov/wy_fire_restrictions/.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
High Desert District 1300 North Third Street, Rawlins WY 82301 280 Highway 191 North, Rock Springs WY 82901